Chapter 1273
Sunday Punch
Cam wondered if she was being overly cautious. What if there were cameras set up around there to see if someone came to investigate? They could be hidden and motion activated. It may be an early warning system for the anti-Metal faction at their location nearby. The vehicle may have been purposely stolen from a location near to them. If it was, they could see who came to check on it. They might already have her zeroed for all she knew. If they hit her with a fifty caliber round in the head, she would never know it. At least it would be fast. It would be lights on, lights off.
Why did the cat run away?
Maybe it was just a cat and it was hungry.
What was hunger anyway?
The concept was hard to understand, even if one understood the basics of fuel of some type being needed to make something operate. Maybe if her power cell ran low, she would experience a type of 'hunger'. It seemed like an unpleasant thought.
A bullet needed propellant to complete its journey to the target.
A vehicle needed gasoline to cause the explosions to fire the pistons in the cylinders.
A cyborg needed energy to function.
Animals needed to eat to provide nourishment for them to operate, to live.
There was a 'snap' in a bush near her.
It brought Cam back to now. She must have drifted some. Now she wasn't really sure about what. It seemed to be some bad trait she 'inherited' from Cameron. So far she never thought she was 'Allison'. Maybe she did at some point. Cameron never knew when it happened and there was no record of the event in her files. When it happened, it really was like she was Allison. She thought she was human.
She needed to focus right now. She was experiencing anxiety or something. She wasn't scared, but she worried about being damaged. Was it really different?
Focus.
Cam scanned through several vision spectrums. There was nothing. John Henry hadn't warned her of any approaching targets or threats.
She carefully moved from her position.
It was the 'Witching Hour'. It was the time of the darkness when nothing good happened. Life ground to a halt except for a few animals. They were usually the hunters. They needed to find something to hunt. Maybe she was the hunter. Maybe she was the hunted.
She jumped a little as the silence was broken.
"What do you want to do next, Cam?" John Henry asked. "Everyone is in position and waiting."
Cam knew she needed to focus. Maybe the drone scans could help her out or shed some light.
"Have the drone scans turned up anything new?" Cam asked.
John Henry would have alerted her if they did.
"Negative." John Henry said.
Cam hoped for a better answer.
"What about the drone scans of the structure itself?" Cam asked.
John Henry checked the results again.
"Negative." John Henry said.
Cam didn't like the answers. They gave her nothing to work with. She spotted something earlier which could indicate someone was in one of the structures.
"There was a light on in the office part of the building." Cam said.
John Henry could only report what he could detect. There were others watching as well.
"Al and Ed have eyes on the far side and rear of the structure." John Henry said. "Nothing has moved."
Cam was concerned about an additional threat.
"Were you able to glean any information off of the phones of the two Fanatics?" Cam asked.
John Henry needed time to process everything. Every cell phone tower hit needed to be checked and correlated with the other individuals. They needed more than the general area to search. It would be better if they could narrow it down to a few blocks in any given area. Everything took time.
"Cammy gave them to me. I'm running down leads." John Henry said. "So far there's nothing definitive."
Cam felt there should be more.
"There must still be a nest of them." Cam said. "They wanted to use the underground part of the old newspaper plant. They were trying to build off of what the Grays left behind. It seemed like a half hearted effort."
Cam wondered if maybe it was a decoy. It wasn't even manned all the time. Who sets something up halfway? Maybe it was all to try and identify who they were. The Grays and Fanatics surely knew by now there was more at play than the anti-Metal faction.
John Henry tried to reassure her everything was covered.
"We still have one drone on recon around there in case anyone else shows up." John Henry said.
Cam started on her way towards the target location as she spoke with John Henry. She was very unsure about things and very uneasy. She really wished Savannah was there with her. She could use her advice. No wonder Cameron always drug Savannah around with her. It helped her with the operations. It gave her better insight and perspective. It also provided her restraint and moderation.
She would like to have Young Allison's input as well. Somehow Young Allison was able to 'see' things from a different perspective from almost everyone else. It was certainly different from any of the Terminators. It was clearly different from John's point of view. Perhaps in John's case, he tended to operate with much more restraint than Young Allison did if she was allowed to act. Then again, Young Allison actually acted on her own through CamNet when she deemed it was necessary. So far every time she was spot on and prevented damage and terminations to the Resistance personnel.
She knew John was inhibited by a human upbringing. Young Allison was uninhibited by anything due to a Terminator upbringing. Savannah was able to bridge the gap between humans and machines for a more blended approach. She learned most humans tended to second guess themselves or make rash decisions based on emotion. She wasn't quite sure what Young Allison operated on. Maybe it was the fact she didn't second guess herself when she knew something needed to be done. If it needed to be done, it needed to be done.
John Henry wanted to make sure Cam understood where her additional help was at.
"Steve and Tom are on the move to follow you." John Henry said.
Cam wanted them to spread out some. They needed to be able to watch her and each other. If she was being stalked, they would fall in behind her or the first one following her on Steve's team. They needed more distance from each other.
"Have one of them fall back some from the other one, but not too far." Cam said. "The closest one can follow my route exactly and the other one should move off to the side some to watch behind the first one as well as their own six."
John Henry thought he must have missed a threat. He wanted Cam to fill him in. He didn't see anything to warrant the level of caution Cam indicated.
"What do you suspect?" John Henry asked. "Is there something else I need to know?"
Cam wished she knew. She knew it was a 'feeling'. It was hardly scientific and very un-Terminator like. She was sure it was based on her long term association with Vanna and the other human females from the future as well as Savannah.
"I really don't know." Cam said. "Everything I think about keeps indicating to me I'm in danger. I have nothing to prove it."
Cam explained her concern about the location the van was stolen from being used as a 'tripwire' for the other location. If it was a 'tripwire', she already tripped it.
John Henry could see it would be a more elaborate plan on the part of the enemy if it were the case. He could understand Cam's concern better now. They often worried about getting caught up in some type of ambush. They were usually the ones who tried to set up the other groups. They were often successful.
"I hadn't considered the prospect." John Henry said. "We have done similar things."
Cam only thought of it a short time ago. There was nothing to base it on, or facts to back it up. It was one of the reasons she was hesitant to mention it. She still 'felt' it needed to be mentioned.
"It just came to me for some reason." Cam said. "It could best be described as what Savannah calls 'a feeling'."
It could mean the target location now was actually a booby trap waiting for someone to enter. The anti-Metal faction may have pulled out when they lost the van. Now like a spider, they waited for someone to get stuck in their web. She didn't want to be the prey.
Cam began to wonder if maybe she should fall back and withdraw or maybe call in a drone strike. If she did, what was the target? Was there a target? Would she just be shooting in the dark? Would it be 'reconnaissance by fire'? She needed to think it through. She didn't like the answer she always ended up with. It was always the same one.
The 'Cameron' in her told her she should do everything alone and not endanger anyone else. It was true 'Cameron' was in her. It was also true she wasn't 'Cameron'. She was grateful she wasn't a Bitch like Cameron, or at times Cammy.
She was certain the main problem between Cameron and Cammy was Savannah. They were both very jealous of each other. If Vanna was the one Cameron was after, she was sure she would have the same issues with Cameron as Cammy. Maybe she would be the one who was a Bitch as well.
She needed to refocus.
Why did the cat run off?
Anna went over the incoming reports. Cam was in danger. She didn't like how the operation seemed to develop. The 'feeling' she was able to pick up indicated things were far from over.
After much internal debate she decided to wake Young Allison. It wasn't what she wanted to do, but what seemed necessary. Is what would have happened if John was at the Resistance base and was needed in Command Center. She went into Young Allison's room.
"Allison." Anna said.
Young Allison was awake in an instant.
Anna saw Young Allison now held a Taser. She wasn't even sure where it came from.
Young Allison instantly assessed it was the middle of the night. Things like this didn't normally happen. Something was wrong.
"What is it?" Young Allison asked. "Are we under attack?"
Young Allison was now on the floor next to her bed.
Anna noticed Young Allison now held her Model 66 in her other hand. She never saw her pick any weapons up. Now she held two of them.
Young Allison searched for a threat.
Anna could see Young Allison was ready to fight. She was a little surprised by everything.
"What?" Anna asked. "No. There's no attack."
A new fear gripped Young Allison.
"Is Savannah alright?" Young Allison asked.
Anna wanted to get Young Allison up to speed.
"Yes." Anna said.
Young Allison knew something was wrong with someone.
"Is someone under attack or about to be?" Young Allison asked.
Anna wanted to keep Young Allison's mind focused. She knew her next concern would be John and Cameron on the ship. It would start on one thing after another. We were all places where her mind didn't need to go.
"It's Cam." Anna said.
Young Allison deduced it was big trouble. She knew the general targets Cam was going to do reconnaissance on. It sounded like it turned into a little bit more than a reconnaissance.
"The anti-Metal faction…." Young Allison said. "Let's go."
Young Allison took off at a run and headed for the bunker.
Anna hurried after her.
It wasn't how Anna planned to wake Young Allison. She was in full combat mode now and looking for blood.
When Anna reached the bunker, Young Allison was already going over the data. She heard Young Allison tell CamNet directly to prepare for a full combat strike. Normally Young Allison went through her to interface with CamNet.
Anna was worried now about Young Allison telling CamNet to prepare for a full combat strike. CamNet may unleash a massive response. She needed to keep Young Allison and CamNet under control. They would 'feed' off of each other.
"Allison, you need to relax." Anna said. "Nothing has happened yet. It's the very preliminary stages of the operation. The enemy hasn't even been spotted yet."
She didn't want to mention only a running black cat was spotted so far. It was true they didn't know if it was after something for its dinner, or something spooked it. Cam was under the impression something spooked it and it wasn't her.
Young Allison didn't want to be caught flat footed. She wanted to be able to respond with overwhelming force, or even better, she wanted to strike first without warning. She wanted to draw 'first blood'. She was aware there were various ways to attack an opponent, especially if they were unsuspecting.
"I want to be ready." Young Allison said. "I want to be able to respond with a good hit. I'll use a 'Sunday Punch' if I can."
Anna tilted her head slightly as she referenced the terminology. 'Sunday Punch' seemed to be a more brutal form of a 'Sucker Punch'. It was usually extremely underhanded with violent force.
She couldn't help but think about Young Allison's response to the Syndicate and Cartel. There were thousands dead around the world because of CamNet's actions under Young Allison's direction. She didn't think it was a bad thing going forward, especially for the future. The more they could thin the herd of potential future Scavengers, the better. It was even more efficient when future Scavengers eliminated each other.
Anna quickly filled Young Allison in. She wanted to prevent CamNet from scrambling all of their drones. She didn't want any backpack nukes brought in. Wait. What made her think they would just be backpack nukes? There was a vast arsenal under CamNet's control. You could even be a hydrogen bomb. An H-bomb would definitely fall under the category for a 'maximum effort' response.
Young Allison understood the nature of the threat was unknown. It was still enough of a threat to beef up what was already there. She modified her order to only double the drone force in the area, for now.
Cameron's Terminators were called off the location destroyed by the tanker 'accident'. They were enroute to assist and back up the teams there. So far nothing developed at the location. Surveillance equipment was left behind instead.
Young Allison went over Cam's reasoning about a 'trip wire' and booby trapped location. If something new developed, she was ready with a 'Sunday Punch'. She wanted to bring the fight to the enemy and not have it the other way around.
She knew the Resistance machines were coming. Hell was coming with them.
She wanted to keep Cameron and Savannah out of it. She was very pleased Anna decided to get her. She only wished she would have come to her a little earlier. She did understand. They didn't really know what they were dealing with earlier.
Young Allison knew they didn't really know what they were dealing with at all. She did understand Cam's apprehension and felt it was justified. Whatever it was, it was more than met the eye.
John Henry became alarmed as CamNet started to ramp up operations. Anna contacted him and explained Young Allison was now directly involved. The response was to be a little short of a 'maximum effort'. He became a little alarmed when it was first called for.
He was relieved when a partial stand down was issued. He was also glad now there was some human input. They were always able to give him different perspectives or views. The more illogical something was, the better the human input seemed to be. Since humans seemed to be filled with illogic, they were better able to understand it. It seemed 'normal' to them.
It was decided John Henry would remain in charge of the operation. He would receive input from Anna and CamNet. Young Allison would deal with them directly.
He was a little concerned there might be some repercussions because Young Allison was pulled back into the operation in the middle of the night. It wasn't his doing. It was something he should have done on his own earlier. If there was any heat involved about it. He would take it. He felt it was the right choice.
Savannah awoke once to find she was alone. It surprised her. She thought at least Allison would still be there. She wasn't.
She was tired. It was a long day. She rolled over and tried to fall back to sleep. She felt troubled. There was something eating at her. She needed to find out more.
She took out her phone to check operations. She didn't like what she saw. She contacted CamNet directly.
Savannah sat bolt upright in bed. The update shocked her.
There was a force of drones on the move and Young Allison was directing them. It must be something serious. She wondered why they hadn't contacted her. She figured Young Allison told them not to.
She was concerned as to where Young Allison was exactly. She hoped she was in her bunker. Her main worry was she was out in the field. She was sure if she was out of the field her response would be even more extreme since she would be able to witness it firsthand. She would probably want a follow up attack before the preliminary results were even determined.
Savannah got out of bed. She was naked. She stumbled over a pile of clothes on the floor. Cammy and Allison must have left naked. She actually thought it was kind of Hot. It briefly made her wonder where they ended up at. She needed to push those thoughts from her mind and focus on what may be developing.
She grabbed a shirt and threw it on. She looked down at it. It was too short. She searched for a pair of underwear and slipped them on as she headed for the Command Center. They were very skimpy and low cut. It must be Cammy's underwear. She wondered if she looked as Hot in them as Cammy did. She doubted it. She liked the extra material on her underwear. It actually felt like everything was covered properly when she wore her own.
Vanna awoke. It was dark. She felt the figure in bed next to her. She was pleased to see Samantha was still in bed with her. Samantha didn't move so maybe she was in standby.
It seemed a little unusual for one of the Metal girls to do so.
Vanna thought she would surprise her when she rebooted.
She moved down into position and started right it. She thought it would be a pleasant way to reactivate her.
Her head lifted almost at once. She knew her females, inside and out.
"Allison?" Vanna asked.
Allison awoke. She last remembered being in Savannah's room with Cam.
She thought she heard Savannah say her name. She could tell what Savannah was about to do.
"Don't stop, Savannah." Allison said. "You know what I like."
Vanna quickly realized Allison thought she was Savannah. It was dark so she still thought she was in Savannah's room. She could see why she thought so. It was because Cammy carried her into the nursery when she was asleep. Before she fell asleep, she was in Savannah's room and with Savannah. She decided to continue and see what else Allison might have to say. It was her name anyway.
She was Savannah Weaver too.
It would be interesting to see if Allison reacted any differently to what she did, if Allison thought it was really Savannah doing it. She knew every response Allison exhibited. The giveaway might be the difference in execution. Savannah and her only shared a few times. She wasn't sure how Savannah did everything. There were really many ways to do it, even if it was the same thing.
It was time to see how far the apple fell from the tree. Wait. It was the same tree.
Samantha and Cammy pleased each other several times. Their sound modulation was turned off so they wouldn't wake Vanna and Allison. They especially didn't want to wake Precious up.
Cammy was in the process of sharing with Samantha when she heard footsteps running down the hall. She immediately stopped.
Samantha asked Cammy what was wrong. There was no response. Cammy still hadn't activated her voice modulation.
Cammy was already up. She knew trouble when she heard it. She quickly reset her audio systems.
"Check on Precious." Cammy said. "I heard running in the hall. It must be Savannah. Something is wrong."
Samantha was up in an instant.
Cammy looked around for her clothes. They were still in Savannah's room. She didn't need them anyway. She headed for the door. She was naked.
"Keep a watch on Vanna and Allison too." Cammy said and exited the room into the hall.
Samantha checked on Precious. She was fast asleep. She could hear Vanna and Allison were sharing with each other. She looked around for her phone to see what was happening.
She didn't want to raise the alarm yet. She ventured into the hall to see and listen for any threat. None was apparent. She was also naked.
She would try to protect Vanna and Allison as long as she could. Her main responsibility was Precious. They all agreed Precious came first. If it all ever fell apart, she was to take Precious and run.
It was a grim prospect. It was determined the youngest should have first priority for living.
Bob watched the Metal girls play the songs. They appeared to be having 'fun'. He felt very content watching them himself.
He was aware of what Cameron was doing. He didn't agree with it. Sheila and Hanna seemed to be on board with it. Holly and Gail appeared to gladly wait for their 'turn'.
Bob really hoped Cameron wouldn't want to use his chassis. Ally seemed to be the only hold out of the Metal girls. Maybe Cameron would use Jim's chassis instead of his. Jim was right next to the owner's Suite most of the time anyway. If it happened, it would probably insure his chassis was used to compare them. Cameron was not noted for doing things halfway.
In the back of his mind he knew, 'Everyone sacrifices for John Connor'. He wasn't sure if it included Cameron using his chassis.
He realized the Metal girls stopped playing. He looked around for a reason why. None was apparent.
The Metal girls stopped playing music after the last set.
Gail asked if she could play one of the other instruments.
Ally offered her the guitar.
"You take the bass, Ally." Sheila said. "I'll try the drums. I like things that go 'boom'."
Ally tried to get in another dig.
"I think you've experienced enough 'boom boom' for the trip." Ally said.
Sheila knew Ally just didn't understand.
"You can't knock it until you've tried it." Sheila said.
Ally didn't like the conditions.
"That's just it. I won't actually be the one to try it, as Cameron gives my virginity to John." Ally said. "Cameron will be in control. I'll only get a file."
Hanna didn't like how Sheila fooled around with the drum sticks. She didn't want her to get carried away. She could already picture several things Sheila could do with them.
"Don't do anything crazy with the drum sticks, Sheila." Hanna said from the piano. "Do any of you want to play the piano?"
Gail wanted to give it a try. She was sure the others did as There was only one problem.
"We don't know how." Gail said.
Hanna could teach them.
"I can show you." Hanna said. "It's how I learned from Claire."
Ally came over with Sheila. Gail followed behind them.
"How many of us can sit on the piano bench?" Ally asked.
Hanna looked at the bench and pushed on it slightly.
"Three will fit easily across its width." Hanna said. "The weight might be a little iffy."
Hanna moved into the middle of the piano bench and Ally and Sheila sat on each side of her. Gail stood in back of them.
Bob wanted to see too. He moved over and stood next to Gail behind the three on the bench.
"I would like to observe too if I may." Bob said.
Hanna gave them some actual instruction as to how to play and showed them the basics.
Sheila looked at the keyboard and glanced back at the bass.
"There are a lot of keys." Sheila said. "I just came from four strings."
Ally tried to get another joke in.
"Normally it's a couple of fingers for you, Sheila." Ally said.
Gail wanted to learn. She didn't want to hear a bunch of senseless banter.
"Enough." Gail said.
Sheila was just about to mention it wouldn't be a couple of fingers for Ally next time, it would be her entire fist. She figured it would loosen things up for John and Cameron by the end of the cruise if she did.
Hanna wanted to get started. There were two ways they could do it. She believed one way could lead to the other.
"Listen to what I tell you or copy what I do." Hanna said.
Everyone watched intently. They were all having 'fun'.
Jim watched everything from the Control Center. He was amused to watch them all trying to learn how to play the piano. Now he wanted to learn too.
He already set up the breakfast items for fifteen minutes before sunrise. The 'Do Not Disturb' room's items would be left inside the door. The coffee and hot cocoa should remain hot for several hours in the insulated containers. When they woke up, it would be waiting. They could always call for additional items. They could also ignore it if they wanted to. It would simply be taken away later on.
He kept his attention on where Cam was at as well. He expected Cameron to pop back in any second and want to know the status of the operation. When she left earlier it appeared as if things were about to happen.
Jim was somewhat surprised to see Young Allison was now involved. It was highly unusual at this hour. He figured it was going to cause a problem down the road. It wasn't just because it was the 'Witching Hour' either.
He was sure it would cause Cameron additional concern once she found out. He debated whether he should tell her as soon as she re-entered the Control Center or allow her to find out on her own.
Holly decided not to go back into standby. She wasn't really sure why she did it in the first place. Maybe it would have been better if she stayed where she originally was between Jan and Summer when she went into standby. Perhaps it was because it was her last chance to have a 'sleepover with the girls'. Later on today, since it was the 'Witching Hour' already, she would become a 'woman'. At least her chassis and sheath would.
She was ready for something new. If it took Cameron to do it for her, so be it. She could have done 'it' years ago if Cameron hadn't been such a coward for those fifteen months she hid on her chip. Well, it was actually Duplicate Cameron. She didn't think there was a whole lot of difference since they were the same individual. Nobody knew at the time what the situation actually was as far as being a Duplicate or being the original.
She wanted her existence to move forward. She was ready for more. She wanted to know what it was like, even if it was one time. Everyone else did it. How hard could it be? It couldn't be too big of a deal if it was consensual.
Holly opened the balcony door again to look out over the water. It appeared to rush by the ship. It was really the ship in motion, not the water. The moon was in the sky and cast its reflected light upon the water.
She felt a soft warm hand take hers.
Holly jumped a little.
A soft voice went along with it.
"It's beautiful isn't it?" Summer asked.
Holly was surprised Summer was able to walk up to her and take her hand unnoticed. She should have been aware. Summer could do the same thing at the Young residence. She was able to move around quite clandestinely.
"Yes." Holly said. "You should be in bed."
Summer thought Holly needed her right now. Allison was back at the Resistance base. She gave Holly's hand a gentle squeeze. It was to show closeness and fellowship.
"I was." Summer said. "Now I'm next to you."
Summer was a little upset earlier because Holly didn't see the beauty in the stars. She didn't think it was Holly's fault. It was more of a cyborg reaction, or lack thereof.
Holly looked back into the room to make sure Jan was still in bed.
Summer wanted to try to reach out to Holly.
"Can you see the beauty of the moon on the water?" Summer asked.
Holly looked at the moon. She was aware the celestial bodies meant something to the humans. In reality, things were the same for billions of years. She wanted to see a little deeper.
"Yes." Holly said. "It's very pleasant to observe. It's peaceful."
Summer wanted to try again with the beauty in the stars
"Can you see it in the stars too?" Summer asked.
Holly looked up into the night sky. She could see all the 'suns' throughout the sky.
"Yes." Holly said. "It's all beautiful."
Summer was pleased to see Holly look up and around at all the stars.
Cameron was disturbed by the current operation and what looked like the anti-Metal faction and the Fanatics.
She wanted John protected. She really wished Savannah was there. John and Savannah could consummate their future relationship now.
Cameron almost brought Jesse or Claire back with her earlier. She wasn't sure which one to bring. She thought she would have brought Claire. Maybe she would have brought both of them. They would both know how to service and please John. They both possessed the one part on a female John craved.
She decided to lie down next to John. She thought about giving him some 'conditioning'. She was about to whisper in his ear when his eyes opened.
"Hello, beautiful." John said.
John looked around. He wanted to see if there was another chassis there ready to go. He hoped it would be a new one. There was nothing but the empty side of the bed.
Cameron noticed what John looked for in the bed. She was a little disappointed she didn't have one lined up.
"It's just me, us." Cameron said.
John appreciated the 'fresh meet' Cameron offered to him. The fact they were virgins only added to it. He loved Cameron for who and what she was.
"It's fine with me." John said. "I love you just how you are."
Cameron wanted to tell him she was a machine covered with an organic sheath over a metal frame.
John kissed her softly.
She kissed him back the same way.
"I love you, Cameron, and you love me." John said.
Cameron was very pleased to hear John's words.
"I love you, John, and you love me." Cameron said.
John wanted to make it clear to Cameron he loved her just the way she was.
"I love your program and I love YOUR chassis." John said. "I love who and what you are and how you've always been."
Cameron was pleased the nature of her construction allowed for her to be 'someone else' when she wanted to. There were a lot of times when she wished she would have been someone 'different'.
"I love what I'm able to do for you, for us, with my program." Cameron said.
John felt rested.
"I love what we can do right now." John said.
Cameron could tell he was ready to go again. She was very pleased she possessed the one part he desired the most.
"What is it?" Cameron asked playfully.
John played it a little coy.
"I can think of a few things." John said.
Cameron was ready to go for a ride.
"Can you show me?" Cameron asked.
John did.
Cameron decided the anti-Metal faction and the Fanatics could wait. This was her honeymoon and she was going to be a virgin five times for John. She remembered Bob and Jim were there too. Maybe it would be seven times. She was ready for every new experience available. What could it hurt?
She would wait and see how John used her sheath. Depending upon what he did would determine if she would choose a chassis so she could do the same things to him. She was actually very excited about the prospect.
She would remind him some parts of her sheath didn't contain any pleasure receptors, even if they contain pain receptors. If he chose to continue at that point, she would put Jim and Bob on the 'roster'. She believed fair was fair.
She thought it would be best to make sure the lights were on in the suite and John was facing in the direction of the mirror they could see from the bed when she started in. She looked forward with great anticipation to observe the look on his face when first contact was made.
Hank and Larry left the building behind as well. They would take up a new position and follow the drone footage for any new developments.
They actually thought the gang bangers would stay around the area a little longer. They didn't. Why didn't they look a little harder for the four missing gang bangers? All they did was recover the fellow gang banger's vehicle, and the one the female Fanatic previously drove. They were even more surprised when the convoy of four vehicles passed in front of the female Fanatic at a stoplight. They were the only vehicles around. They wondered if it would set off some type of warning to the gang bangers.
They wanted to see if anyone else would turn up at the location they were currently near. Whoever sent the Grays was going to miss them at some. They were most likely going to send someone to check it out once they couldn't reach them. The lack of communications should have already happened.
Hank was a little worried as to what would be sent.
"Our drones need to be on alert." Hank said.
Larry understood what he referred to. It would be an enemy HK drone attack.
"I'm sure any HK drones sent here won't be returning home." Larry said.
Hank hoped they would be able to trace them back to where they were sent from. A technique they used previously to track an enemy HK drone was to damage it to the point where it could barely remain in the air. It would usually attempt to return to wherever it was launched from. They were able to get additional targets more than once using the same technique.
"If there are any, it may give us a new target." Hank said.
Larry hoped to get some information off of the phones they collected. There were also the newly acquired hard drives.
"Cameron's Terminator should be here soon." Larry said. "They can add the newly acquired electronic devices to the ever growing collection."
Hank wondered if they should reactivate some of the captured phones themselves and see what they could find. They were specifically instructed by CamNet not to do so.
"It would be nice if we knew a little more about what was going on." Hank said.
CamNet reminded them they knew all they needed to know currently.
Hank and Larry looked at each other with the revelation, but didn't comment further. It seemed like a bad idea on several levels.
The female Fanatic needed to make a decision. She could follow the gang bangers and see where they ended up at. She could return to the location she previously was at and use the fuel bomb. She could seek out a new target and use the bomb there.
She was very displeased with the gang banger's repeated attempts to put the grab on her. Why couldn't they just leave her alone? She didn't think the targets on her phone were going to go anywhere.
She couldn't help but think of some of the events of the future she left behind. She witnessed the aftereffect of some of the females who'd been captured by Scavengers in her future. She wasn't sure if the ones who died weren't actually the lucky ones.
It only took a little reminder of what she witnessed with her own eyes in her future for her to make up her mind positively. She decided to follow the future Scavengers. She might be able to deliver a severe blow to them at wherever their headquarters was located. She didn't know if headquarters was the right word or not. There should be some type of leader of the pack at some place. It would sort of be the same thing.
The female Fanatic watched the caravan of four vehicles continue down the street. None of them touched their brakes. She didn't think any of them clocked her. She turned off her lights and made the right hand turn to follow them after they were several hundred feet down the road. She stayed over to the right side of the road for a short distance before she turned on her headlights. She used her turn signal as if she was pulling away from the curb.
She kept plenty of distance between them. If any of them turned off from each other or they broke into groups of two, she would assume she was made.
She was there to attack the enemies of SkyMaster. She viewed future Scavengers as the enemy of SkyMaster. They were non-believers. All non-believers were the enemy. They were a threat to the present as well.
They were headed back in the direction where she encountered the first two car loads up gang bangers. She found it highly irritating they apparently tagged her vehicle. Why would they do it? She really wasn't sure what type of a description the street punks she killed earlier were able to provide their associates.
She wasn't even sure why they were there in the first place. She was aware some of the groups from the future dealt in drugs to raise funds to finance their operations. Maybe there was a connection. If there was, it further justified their deaths.
If they didn't work for SkyMaster, if they weren't true believers, they were the enemy. All of the enemy needed to be eradicated. It only furthered her resolve to track them back to wherever they came from and exterminate them herself.
Hank and Larry watched the female Fanatic's new course of action.
Larry hoped she would lead them to the next target.
"It appears she has a new objective." Larry said.
Hank didn't want her to get terminated yet. He still desired to carry out his personal agenda.
"I hope she uses caution." Hank said. "I want to be the one to terminate her."
Larry didn't think there was any control they could influence over what she did. She clearly made her own plans. She survived longer than they thought possible. She also attacked and destroyed several targets they were unaware of.
"CamNet still has a drone on her." Larry said. "We'll know what she's up to."
Cameron's Terminator arrived and collected their electronic devices again.
There was no small talk exchanged. They took everything and left.
Hank felt they should be doing more.
"It doesn't give us a whole lot to do." Hank said.
Larry figured they would have plenty to do before they returned back to Cameron's base.
"Be careful what you wish for." Larry said.
Hank didn't feel he wished for anything.
"I only made a statement." Hank said. "There is no such thing as a wish. A wish is merely a desire for an event of random chance to occur."
CamNet provided them with new information. One of the drones on wide patrol picked up a vehicle. It made a wide circle of the area where the current target building was located. The vehicle passed within a few blocks of where they were parked. The vehicle never slowed. It was now stopped approximately a half a mile away from the target location.
Larry looked over the data.
"I told you to be careful what you wish for." Larry said.
In this case Hank understood the 'wish' was actually events moving forward, based on past events. Someone wanted to know what happened at the target building. It was yet to be determined if the new vehicle was related to the attackers, or the attacked.
They watched someone open the side door of the van after it stopped. A small recreational type drone flew out of the opening. The door closed. CamNet assured them the small drone would have a 'malfunction' if it headed in their direction. It wasn't headed in their direction.
The drone image they viewed followed the small drone to the target location.
"I think it was a wise move on our part to move the second vehicle the Grays arrived in into the interior of the building." Hank said. "Neither vehicle will be spotted."
Larry thought it was at the time as well.
"It just seemed like the thing to do." Larry said. "I didn't find a tracker on either one of them. It doesn't mean there wasn't one somewhere."
Hank knew it would deepen the mystery for the new group of Grays who were sent to check on the other group of Grays.
"Let's see what they're up to." Hank said.
They watched the small drone make its approach from the rear of the building. It made a slow circle around the building from several hundred feet up. It began to do wider circles around the location.
It was clear it was searching for the two vehicles their team arrived in or any sign of their troops. Other than the dried blood on the ground, there was no indication any type of activity took place. There were no explosions or any fires.
They were aware the drone wouldn't find anything unless it entered the building. All the doors were currently closed. They even closed and barricaded the front door before they left. If someone else arrived at the location, they were going to need to make a hard entry.
The small drone approached their area. It was only several blocks away.
CamNet assured them it wouldn't reach their position. It didn't. They watched it return to the location of where the van was at. They thought it was going to be retrieved. It wasn't. Instead the van drove off. The small drone orbited around it, in a quarter mile circle.
Larry wondered if they had a specific destination in mind. It didn't seem like it.
"I wonder what they're looking for?" Larry asked.
Hank didn't know. He could only speculate.
"I think they realized their team was compromised." Hank said. "They have to suspect the building is on high alert and ready for another assault."
Larry thought there was another option available as well.
"They also might think the occupants pulled out." Larry said. "If there was an assault and it failed, they would know their location was now a target."
They watched the orbit of the drone around the van increase as it drove.
It soon became apparent to both of them what was about to happen.
The small drone was about to detect the four vehicles of gang bangers. Four vehicles traveling together during the 'Witching Hour' were going to stand out like a sore thumb.
"I believe they're about to think they've found the group fleeing from the target location." Hank said.
Larry thought things were going to get a little tricky.
"If the small drone continues on, it will spot the van trailing the four vehicles." Larry said. "If they knew the nature of the operation inside the building, they'll think the van carries the chemicals being used there."
Hank knew the band was carrying 'chemicals'. In this case, the chemical was gasoline.
They were both a little surprised to see the small drone come apart in mid flight. It crashed as it approached the four vehicles of gang bangers.
CamNet inform then she brought the small drone down. She viewed what the camera transmitted back to the van. She wanted to make sure the Grays only spotted the four vehicles of street punks. She didn't want the drone to make any other further identification of the four vehicles traveling away from the target area.
Hank quickly assessed the current situation.
"CamNet is trying to draw out more Grays." Hank said.
Larry agreed.
"I think it's going to work." Larry said. "Maybe we should tag along to clean up any loose ends when the two groups engage each other. It would be a shame if there were any survivors. They wouldn't be survivors for long."
Hank wasn't too sure how things would play out.
"I hope the female Fanatic survives." Hank said.
Larry was sure it was one of the reasons why CamNet prevented the small drone from picking up the image of the van.
"Be careful what you wish for." Larry said.
Hank tilted his head slightly. It was the same thing Larry told him earlier. He thought of the same responses again but didn't say anything. What would be different?
The van controlling the small drone, headed for a direct intercept course with the four gang vehicles. It most likely wanted to make sure they didn't get away. At this point in time, they were most likely to believe it was the target they sought.
Hank and Larry were authorized to enter into a loose pursuit of the van driven by the Grays. It was clear CamNet used the street gang as bait to draw out more Grays.
The female Fanatic followed the four vehicles of gang bangers. She kept plenty of distance between them. Occasionally a vehicle passed them going in the other direction. At one point in time, a big rig pulled out of a supermarket parking lot and was between her and the other vehicles. She stayed in back of it. She would turn her headlights off and drift a little to the side occasionally to make sure they were still in front of her. She wondered if she was going to give the big rig driver a complex. She didn't want to give away her position to the enemy.
She was just about to check again when the big rig used its turn indicator and made a right hand turn. She paused and fell back a little from the big rig. She waited for it to make its turn. She was a little surprised to see there was nothing in front of her any longer.
The female Fanatic felt a wave of panic wash over her. She didn't know if she was made are not. She knew she needed to reacquire the gang vehicles before they acquired her.
Closing monologue by Cameron:
Sunday Punch
Some people like to take
A risk or a chance
Others are more tricky
Around the issues they dance
Always at some point
Everyone takes a fall
Most will get back up
Others will go AWOL
Not every hit
Needs a hit back
It's always best to wait
To plan a better attack
Some blows land hard
Others land true
The ones that really count
Are the one that stick like glue
It's more than a hunch
When one's in a crunch
The rules don't matter
Deliver a Sunday Punch
Nobody